Tuesday night shooting victim identified a former Fort Carson soldier
The Gazette
By Lisa Walton and Stephen Hobbs
Published: October 10, 2014
A 31-year-old man killed in a shooting in Colorado Springs this week was a former Fort Carson soldier originally from Greenwood, Fla., family members say.
Jamarlon Keys, initially identified by Colorado Springs as Jamanion, was taken to Memorial Hospital about
9:15 p.m. Tuesday after police responded to a shooting on the 900 block of Acapulco Court, near Academy and Fountain boulevards. He died at the hospital, police said.
read more here
Friday, October 10, 2014
France Presents Legion of Merit to Boston WWII Veteran
Boston WWII veteran to receive France’s highest honor
Boston Globe
By Kiera Blessing
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
OCTOBER 10, 2014
A 90-year-old World War II veteran from Boston is to be named a Knight of the French Legion of Honor, the highest distinction in France, on Thursday.
David Charter, born and raised in Dorchester, enlisted in the US Army Air Forces at 18 and flew 43 missions, fighting in infamous battles like D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.
“I was always frightened,” Charter said of his time at war. But “it was a job that had to be done, and I did it. ... France understood what we had to go through.”
The Legion of Honor, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, was opened to US military veterans 10 years ago, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Charter is one of hundreds of veterans in New England to have received the honor since, and one of about 100 from Boston, said Timothy Deer, assistant to the consul general at the French consulate in Boston.
read more here
Boston Globe
By Kiera Blessing
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
OCTOBER 10, 2014
David Charter is pictured (right) in this undated photo.
A 90-year-old World War II veteran from Boston is to be named a Knight of the French Legion of Honor, the highest distinction in France, on Thursday.
David Charter, born and raised in Dorchester, enlisted in the US Army Air Forces at 18 and flew 43 missions, fighting in infamous battles like D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.
“I was always frightened,” Charter said of his time at war. But “it was a job that had to be done, and I did it. ... France understood what we had to go through.”
The Legion of Honor, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, was opened to US military veterans 10 years ago, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Charter is one of hundreds of veterans in New England to have received the honor since, and one of about 100 from Boston, said Timothy Deer, assistant to the consul general at the French consulate in Boston.
read more here
Vietnam Veterans Honored At Joint Base Lewis McChord by over 2,500
Lewis-McChord honors Vietnam War veterans
The News Tribune
By ADAM ASHTON
October 10, 2014
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — Stephen Stribling looked wide-eyed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Thursday as he walked into a column of uniformed sailors waiting to thank him for his service in the Vietnam War.
The 66-year-old grinned as he took in the appreciation of active-duty troops. It was nothing like the lonely homecoming he experienced at the end of his combat tour in 1968.
"I'm like a baby to something like this. It's so unreal," he said.
Stribling's new Vietnam homecoming — 46 years in the making — unfolded at a JBLM salute to Vietnam-era veterans. It was meant to recognize a generation of military service members who too often felt scorned by the public after serving overseas.
"It is never too late, never too late, to pay tribute to the men and women who served and continue to serve our country," said I Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, the senior Army officer at JBLM.
read more here
The News Tribune
By ADAM ASHTON
October 10, 2014
More than 2,500 veterans or families of veterans crowded the parade field at JBLM to participate in the salute.
Command Sgt. Major Erik Frey awards commemorative pins to Auburn VFW Vietnam-era veterans John Pepper (left), Bob Newman, and Joe Audino during a ceremony at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. It part of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Vietnam War.
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — Stephen Stribling looked wide-eyed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Thursday as he walked into a column of uniformed sailors waiting to thank him for his service in the Vietnam War.
The 66-year-old grinned as he took in the appreciation of active-duty troops. It was nothing like the lonely homecoming he experienced at the end of his combat tour in 1968.
"I'm like a baby to something like this. It's so unreal," he said.
Stribling's new Vietnam homecoming — 46 years in the making — unfolded at a JBLM salute to Vietnam-era veterans. It was meant to recognize a generation of military service members who too often felt scorned by the public after serving overseas.
"It is never too late, never too late, to pay tribute to the men and women who served and continue to serve our country," said I Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, the senior Army officer at JBLM.
read more here
Map Makers to Healing Combat PTSD
Point Man In Your Pocket
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 10, 2014
We live in such an amazing time that you could walk from Key Largo Florida to Seattle Washington without getting lost. Technology has allowed us to not only find any place in the world, but to see a street view of it as well as know how to get there, how long it will take and get back home.
No matter how much we can do now, someone else did it long before we ever thought of it.
Someone had to go on an adventure, map the territory so that others could find it easier than they did. First they had to have a desire to do it.
The problem with being these pathfinders is, no one knows who they are or what motivated them unless they spend a long time researching. Most of of the time they will never track down the person responsible for getting from "here" to "there."
It is a safe bet they had a very hard time being the first one. Lots of wrong turns, stumbles, giving up and getting up all over again. We never really think about them driving to places we've never seen before or going over a bridge as one piece of land is linked to another.
There has always been someone willing to think of things in a different way, look at the same things going on everyone else was but see something totally different. They saw it because they looked harder.
It may seem to you that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is some kind of new phenomenon simply because they didn't know it was all going on for a very long time.
As with most things, someone decided to figure out a way of getting from one point to another. Try to find a way to help other veterans find their way out of the darkness they thought they were trapped by a veteran decided to show them the way.
It happened in 1984 when a police officer was seeing far too many veterans being arrested, walking the streets and basically falling apart.
Point Man In Your Pocket
The current president of Point Man in Dana Morgan. He was a Marine in Vietnam. He is the longest serving from 2000. He knows what war is like but beyond that, he knows what healing is like.
There were others before him. There will be others after him because there will never be an end to the battles after wars as long as veterans live in this country after being in the "devil's sandbox" or cities, jungles, on the seas and in the air.
They put their faith in each other and it is by the side of one another they learn to heal together. To know the price of their service cannot be reduced to words nor paid back once a year on the 11 of November. It cannot be justified by medals but must be memorialized by the actions of the rest of us, honoring the fact they went where we did not, willing to pay the price to have as many as possible return to their families and friends.
It is by those willing to walk back to make sure others will find their way easier than they did. It is by their example they prove that love does not die in the darkest of times but searchers harder for what is good within them even in the horror of war.
Love lives. It survives. It survived when they grieved. It lingered in a memory. It took hold. It is by that strength they are able to heal and lead others from one point to the next.
PTSD isn't new. How to heal it isn't new either but just because you can't see Seattle from Key Largo doesn't mean you can't get there. Just because you didn't know something was on the other side of the hill didn't mean it wasn't.
Take a walk with the veterans making the map and find out how they got out of the valley you feel trapped in. Don't let the word of "ministry" confuse you with some other groups you may have heard of making you feel as if you just got hit with a bible over your head instead of hugged by someone holding one.
They have been there and back so many times that you can see the strength of their belief in your ability to not only heal but trust your love is so strong you will end up leading others into a better life as well.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 10, 2014
No matter how much we can do now, someone else did it long before we ever thought of it.
Someone had to go on an adventure, map the territory so that others could find it easier than they did. First they had to have a desire to do it.
The problem with being these pathfinders is, no one knows who they are or what motivated them unless they spend a long time researching. Most of of the time they will never track down the person responsible for getting from "here" to "there."
It is a safe bet they had a very hard time being the first one. Lots of wrong turns, stumbles, giving up and getting up all over again. We never really think about them driving to places we've never seen before or going over a bridge as one piece of land is linked to another.
There has always been someone willing to think of things in a different way, look at the same things going on everyone else was but see something totally different. They saw it because they looked harder.
It may seem to you that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is some kind of new phenomenon simply because they didn't know it was all going on for a very long time.
As with most things, someone decided to figure out a way of getting from one point to another. Try to find a way to help other veterans find their way out of the darkness they thought they were trapped by a veteran decided to show them the way.
It happened in 1984 when a police officer was seeing far too many veterans being arrested, walking the streets and basically falling apart.
Point Man International Ministries Since 1984, when Seattle Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran Bill Landreth noticed he was arresting the same people each night, he discovered most were Vietnam vets like himself that just never seemed to have quite made it home. He began to meet with them in coffee shops and on a regular basis for fellowship and prayer. Soon, Point Man Ministries was conceived and became a staple of the Seattle area. Bills untimely death soon after put the future of Point Man in jeopardy.
However, Chuck Dean, publisher of a Veterans self help newspaper, Reveille, had a vision for the ministry and developed it into a system of small groups across the USA for the purpose of mutual support and fellowship. These groups are known as Outposts. Worldwide there are hundreds of Outposts and Homefront groups serving the families of veterans.
Point Man In Your Pocket
The current president of Point Man in Dana Morgan. He was a Marine in Vietnam. He is the longest serving from 2000. He knows what war is like but beyond that, he knows what healing is like.
There were others before him. There will be others after him because there will never be an end to the battles after wars as long as veterans live in this country after being in the "devil's sandbox" or cities, jungles, on the seas and in the air.
From Devil's Sandbox While other National Guard units escorted convoys and guarded bases, the Volunteers of 2-162 took the fight to the heart of the enemy and saw more sustained combat than any other National Guard unit since the Second World War. The Volunteers played key roles in the most significant events in Iraq and helped pave the way for the first free election in Iraqi history. In the process, they were ranked the best infantry battalion in Iraq by Lt. General Peter Chiarelli, commanding officer of the 1st Cav Division.
Author Bruning takes a close look at these remarkable citizen-soldiers, their families and their collective experiences during this critical time in the Iraq War. Mill workers and students, engineers and day laborers came together within the battalion's ranks with nothing in common save their unshakeable belief that service to the country was an honorable path.
In Iraq, their sense of honor was tested to the limits. With little guidance on how to fight against a ruthless guerilla foe, the battalion made its own rules, upheld its own standards. These standards sometimes clashed with the policies of both the American and Iraqi governments. In June, 2004, the Volunteers stumbled across a torture compound within the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. Instead of standing idly by, they stormed it, disarmed the American-supported Iraqi guards, and gave medical treatment to the dying prisoners. The event provoked an international incident, but the Volunteers prevailed: their actions secured the release of over a hundred tortured and abused detainees.
They put their faith in each other and it is by the side of one another they learn to heal together. To know the price of their service cannot be reduced to words nor paid back once a year on the 11 of November. It cannot be justified by medals but must be memorialized by the actions of the rest of us, honoring the fact they went where we did not, willing to pay the price to have as many as possible return to their families and friends.
It is by those willing to walk back to make sure others will find their way easier than they did. It is by their example they prove that love does not die in the darkest of times but searchers harder for what is good within them even in the horror of war.
Love lives. It survives. It survived when they grieved. It lingered in a memory. It took hold. It is by that strength they are able to heal and lead others from one point to the next.
PTSD isn't new. How to heal it isn't new either but just because you can't see Seattle from Key Largo doesn't mean you can't get there. Just because you didn't know something was on the other side of the hill didn't mean it wasn't.
Take a walk with the veterans making the map and find out how they got out of the valley you feel trapped in. Don't let the word of "ministry" confuse you with some other groups you may have heard of making you feel as if you just got hit with a bible over your head instead of hugged by someone holding one.
They have been there and back so many times that you can see the strength of their belief in your ability to not only heal but trust your love is so strong you will end up leading others into a better life as well.
Five Finger Death Punch Live Stream For "Military Guys"
Five Finger Death Punch: Rockin' for the Troops
Yahoo Music
By Craig Rosen
13 hours ago
On Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6:35 p.m. PT/9:35 p.m. ET, Yahoo Live will live stream Five Finger Death Punch's show from the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, GA. Tune in HERE to watch!
For most, Veterans Day comes once a year. But for hard-rockers Five Finger Death Punch, concern for our troops and veterans is part of everyday life.
"Basically, with the band from the very beginning — I'm talking about before we even had a record deal — it just so happened that a lot of our fans were military guys," explains Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory. "We've always have had songs that have had military themes.
It's just something that's close to us. It's a special kind of person who signs up and does what these guys do, and we have a fight-for-yourself and stand-up-for-yourself attitude, because none of us was born with a silver spoon in our mouths. We have to fight for everything we have, so our lyrics our similar to their mindset. They can't run away. They have to do their job, so we're kindred spirits, so to speak."
With that sort of connection, it was only natural for the band — which also includes singer Ivan "Ghost" Moody, drummer Jeremy Spencer, and relatively new recruits guitarist Jason Hook and bassist Chris Kael — to begin playing gigs for the troops at military bases around the world, including Iraq. During those visits, the band began to form a special relationship with their brothers in arms. "It became a symbiosis," Bathory explains. "These guys are our fans and became sort of our families. We heard their stories and saw what was happening to them. And once we heard these stories, we started to research PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] and found out how common it is and how serious it is. There's staggering numbers and statistics. We figured the best way to deal with this is to help raise awareness."
read more here
Yahoo Music
By Craig Rosen
13 hours ago
On Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6:35 p.m. PT/9:35 p.m. ET, Yahoo Live will live stream Five Finger Death Punch's show from the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, GA. Tune in HERE to watch!
For most, Veterans Day comes once a year. But for hard-rockers Five Finger Death Punch, concern for our troops and veterans is part of everyday life.
"Basically, with the band from the very beginning — I'm talking about before we even had a record deal — it just so happened that a lot of our fans were military guys," explains Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory. "We've always have had songs that have had military themes.
It's just something that's close to us. It's a special kind of person who signs up and does what these guys do, and we have a fight-for-yourself and stand-up-for-yourself attitude, because none of us was born with a silver spoon in our mouths. We have to fight for everything we have, so our lyrics our similar to their mindset. They can't run away. They have to do their job, so we're kindred spirits, so to speak."
With that sort of connection, it was only natural for the band — which also includes singer Ivan "Ghost" Moody, drummer Jeremy Spencer, and relatively new recruits guitarist Jason Hook and bassist Chris Kael — to begin playing gigs for the troops at military bases around the world, including Iraq. During those visits, the band began to form a special relationship with their brothers in arms. "It became a symbiosis," Bathory explains. "These guys are our fans and became sort of our families. We heard their stories and saw what was happening to them. And once we heard these stories, we started to research PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] and found out how common it is and how serious it is. There's staggering numbers and statistics. We figured the best way to deal with this is to help raise awareness."
read more here
PTSD Veteran to Salute Every 65 Minutes on Ruck March
La Crosse veteran marching across state to fight PTSD, suicides
Lacrosse Tribune
MIKE TIGHE
4 hours ago
Travis Good of La Crosse, decrying the statistic that 22 fellow veterans a day commit suicide, is marching 221.4 miles from La Crosse to Milwaukee to raise awareness and money to treat PTSD.
Good, 35, who has post-traumatic stress disorder he developed during Mideast deployments, was set to start his trek at 6 a.m. today at the Veterans Affairs River Valley Clinic at 2600 State Road.
The statewide hike is a “ruck march,” which means carrying a backpack. While such packs typically weigh 45 to 50 pounds, Good’s will be a 65-pounder with extra supplies because he is crossing the Badger State.
Accompanying Good on his “Ruck to Recovery for PTSD Awareness” is Gene Bennett, a 38-year-old Marine/Army veteran who also has PTSD. Good welcomes others — veterans and civilians alike — to join for however long they want. He plans to cover at least 36 miles a day, stopping at VA facilities along the way.
Good and Bennett will stop every 65 minutes and salute for a minute in commemoration of veterans who have committed suicide, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says happens at about that rate.
“By the time I am done with the ruck march, 144 vets would have died by their own hands — many due to PTSD issues,” Good said.
Good, a native of Rochester, Ind., who hopes the walk will raise $10,000 for the PTSD Foundation of America, acknowledged in an interview that he tried suicide himself.
“After I failed at a lousy attempt, I asked for help,” he said, adding that his therapy is continuing through the VA.
Good also credits his wife, Mara, as his main supporter.
read more here
Lacrosse Tribune
MIKE TIGHE
4 hours ago
“After I failed at a lousy attempt, I asked for help,” he said, adding that his therapy is continuing through the VA.
Travis Good of La Crosse, decrying the statistic that 22 fellow veterans a day commit suicide, is marching 221.4 miles from La Crosse to Milwaukee to raise awareness and money to treat PTSD.
Good, 35, who has post-traumatic stress disorder he developed during Mideast deployments, was set to start his trek at 6 a.m. today at the Veterans Affairs River Valley Clinic at 2600 State Road.
The statewide hike is a “ruck march,” which means carrying a backpack. While such packs typically weigh 45 to 50 pounds, Good’s will be a 65-pounder with extra supplies because he is crossing the Badger State.
Accompanying Good on his “Ruck to Recovery for PTSD Awareness” is Gene Bennett, a 38-year-old Marine/Army veteran who also has PTSD. Good welcomes others — veterans and civilians alike — to join for however long they want. He plans to cover at least 36 miles a day, stopping at VA facilities along the way.
Good and Bennett will stop every 65 minutes and salute for a minute in commemoration of veterans who have committed suicide, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says happens at about that rate.
“By the time I am done with the ruck march, 144 vets would have died by their own hands — many due to PTSD issues,” Good said.
Good, a native of Rochester, Ind., who hopes the walk will raise $10,000 for the PTSD Foundation of America, acknowledged in an interview that he tried suicide himself.
“After I failed at a lousy attempt, I asked for help,” he said, adding that his therapy is continuing through the VA.
Good also credits his wife, Mara, as his main supporter.
read more here
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Crews on C-123 planes after the Vietnam War Battle Agent Orange
VA Is Bracing for a New Front in the Agent Orange Battle
National Journal
Jordain Carney
October 8, 2014
In 2011, Wes Carter was talking to a handful of friends when he realized they had something in common: They all flew on the C-123 planes after the Vietnam War, and they were all sick.
During the Vietnam War, C-123s were used to spray the herbicide Agent Orange. Although the planes were being used for cargo and medical flights by the time Carter served after the war, he and his fellow veterans believe their illnesses—which range from diabetes to cancer—are tied to their time on the planes between 1972 and 1982.
“We were physically scraping goop from nooks and crannies trying to get the thing as clean as possible, because there’s quite an odor to it,” said Carter, 68, who flew on a C-123 plane and believes that his prostate cancer and heart disease are tied to his time in the service.
So far, C-123 veterans have had little luck getting their disability claims granted.
Last year, C-123 pilot Paul Bailey, who died in October 2013 after suffering from prostate cancer, became the first of Carter’s group to get his exposure to Agent Orange recognized without having to seek help from the Board of Veterans Appeals.
read more here
National Journal
Jordain Carney
October 8, 2014
In 2011, Wes Carter was talking to a handful of friends when he realized they had something in common: They all flew on the C-123 planes after the Vietnam War, and they were all sick.
During the Vietnam War, C-123s were used to spray the herbicide Agent Orange. Although the planes were being used for cargo and medical flights by the time Carter served after the war, he and his fellow veterans believe their illnesses—which range from diabetes to cancer—are tied to their time on the planes between 1972 and 1982.
“We were physically scraping goop from nooks and crannies trying to get the thing as clean as possible, because there’s quite an odor to it,” said Carter, 68, who flew on a C-123 plane and believes that his prostate cancer and heart disease are tied to his time in the service.
So far, C-123 veterans have had little luck getting their disability claims granted.
Last year, C-123 pilot Paul Bailey, who died in October 2013 after suffering from prostate cancer, became the first of Carter’s group to get his exposure to Agent Orange recognized without having to seek help from the Board of Veterans Appeals.
read more here
Why Wasn't Joseph Teti Happy With His Real Service?
My friend called wondering why I hadn't posted this story. I didn't because I didn't know about it. Only so many hours in the day. It looks like the press has been really, really slow on this story. Read down and you'll see what I mean.
This is when FOX had the "exclusive" about Teti
'Dual Survivor' star Joseph Teti denies he lied about military service as sponsors retreatFOX listed the story from Military Times
FoxNews.com
By Hollie McKay
Published October 09, 2014
LOS ANGELES – The fallout continues for Joseph Teti, the star of Discovery's "Dual Survivor," who was booted from the Special Forces Association last week over claims he inflated his military service.
Since its formation in 1962, only ten people have been involuntarily removed from the non-profit, which functions as a fraternal organization for active and retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers.
This week, Cabela's hunting and sporting goods chain, which sponsored the reality star, severed their relationship with Teti.
"In light of the Special Forces Association's revocation of Joe Teti's membership, Cabela's has ended its association with Teti," the company stated on its Facebook page.
According to Military Times, Teti has been added to the "Special Forces Poser Patrol" Wall of Shame, and the watch maker Casio, which signed Teti in August to promote their new line of Pro Trek watches, is reviewing their association with him.
read more here
Major sponsor drops 'Dual Survival' star; Teti fires back at criticsSeems everyone is jumping on this story all of a sudden,,,,,but take a look at this
Military Times
Oct. 7, 2014
Discovery Channel officials have gone dark, maintaining radio silence over the fate of Joseph Teti, even as support for the “Dual Survival” reality show co-star continues to erode.
Cabela’s hunting and sporting goods chain, one of Teti’s main sponsors, cut ties with him over the weekend.
Since joining “Dual Survival” last year, Teti had become the centerpiece for Cabela’s special events. As recently as Sept. 16, he was booked by the chain for the grand opening of a store in Oregon.
read more here
The truth about Discovery’s Dual Survival’s Joe Teti
A few weeks ago, we wrote about David Canterbury, a member of the cast of a survival show on the Discovery Channel, “Dual Survival”. At the time, someone brought up Joe Teti, the other fellow on that show. So being the cynics that we are, we got Teti’s records, too. Here’s what Teti claims on his website;
Most of that is true. He was indeed in the USMC’s Force Recon. He spent less than 4 years in the Marines
He was also in Special Forces – National Guard Special Forces- for five years, ending on May 1st, 2000.
So that’s where his military records end, so he could hardly be a “combat veteran of OIF and OEF” as he claims in his bio in the way that most of us understand the term “veteran”. However, he did participate in those wars as a contractor. read more here
Why was Cody Lundin fired from Dual Survivor after fight with Teti Lundin and Teti brought two different types of survival techniques to the show. If you're not familiar with “Dual Survival,” you still may know Lundin as “the guy who doesn’t wear any shoes.” Lundin never wore footwear for the show, except in extreme cold, and would resort to wearing some type of socks. Though Lundin, who specializes in aboriginal living skills, and Teti, who is a former Marine and Special Forces soldier, would bicker at times, they had not gotten into a full-on argument, until Season 4.
This is when FOX had the "exclusive" about Teti
EXCLUSIVE: 'Dual Survival' names Joseph Teti its new military survival pro
FoxNews.com
By Hollie McKay
Published November 30, 2012
Teti is a former Force Recon Marine, Army Special Forces “Green Beret” and a former operative in one of the most top-secret government counter- terrorist units in the world.
He joins professional survival instructor Cody Lundin – who hasn’t worn shoes for over 20 years – who returns to the Discovery show for his third season.
“There is no question, Cody Lundin is one of the world’s foremost experts in self-reliance and living off the land. And Joe Teti’s ability to survive a decade of combat in some of the most dangerous situations and harshest terrain on the planet makes him the perfect addition to ‘Dual Survival,’” executive producer French Horwitz told FOX411. “The differences between these two men couldn’t be more drastic, but each is formidable in his own way. This will unquestionably be the best season yet.”
read more here
Army Major Finds Family Expanded to About 300
Wounded Army veteran receives mortgage-free home
Tampa Tribune
BY ELAINE SPEER
Special Correspondent
Published: October 8, 2014
RIVERVIEW – When Building Homes for Heroes gifts a house to a wounded veteran and his family, it does so in patriotic style.
On Sept. 27, U.S. Army Maj. Robert Kilmartin, his wife, Christina, and their four children were welcomed to their new home with all the celebration and pageantry fit for a combat-wounded soldier.
Full-sized American flags lined the parade route on Balm Riverview Road leading to the Kilmartin’s new home. The procession included Hillsborough County Sherrif’s Office motorcycle deputies, Riverview High School JROTC cadets, AVAST (Amputee Veterans of America Support Team) Color Guard, Alexander Keith Memorial Pipe Band from Dunedin, Patriot Guard of Vietnam Veterans and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue vehicles.
Approximately 300 supporters, including volunteers, veterans and active service personnel; members of local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops; and dignitaries from the military and state government crammed the Kilmartin’s new front yard and driveway to welcome the family home.
The patriotic festivities even included a fly-over of two vintage T-6 airplanes from the Kissimmee Air Museum.
read more here
Tampa Tribune
BY ELAINE SPEER
Special Correspondent
Published: October 8, 2014
Army Maj. Robert Kilmartin, who suffers from combat-related traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder, and his family check out the pool at their new home in Riverview recently given them by Building Homes for Heroes. From left are Maddox; wife, Cristina; Shaylee, Devin, Taylor and the major.
ELAINE SPEER
RIVERVIEW – When Building Homes for Heroes gifts a house to a wounded veteran and his family, it does so in patriotic style.
On Sept. 27, U.S. Army Maj. Robert Kilmartin, his wife, Christina, and their four children were welcomed to their new home with all the celebration and pageantry fit for a combat-wounded soldier.
Full-sized American flags lined the parade route on Balm Riverview Road leading to the Kilmartin’s new home. The procession included Hillsborough County Sherrif’s Office motorcycle deputies, Riverview High School JROTC cadets, AVAST (Amputee Veterans of America Support Team) Color Guard, Alexander Keith Memorial Pipe Band from Dunedin, Patriot Guard of Vietnam Veterans and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue vehicles.
Approximately 300 supporters, including volunteers, veterans and active service personnel; members of local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops; and dignitaries from the military and state government crammed the Kilmartin’s new front yard and driveway to welcome the family home.
The patriotic festivities even included a fly-over of two vintage T-6 airplanes from the Kissimmee Air Museum.
read more here
Wounded Veterans Become Comedy Warriors
5 veterans healing through humor: Documentary 'Comedy Warriors' to be screened in La Jolla Oct. 29
ABC 10 News
Robert Santos
Oct 8, 2014
"Back in 2003, I was involved in a pretty aggressive study abroad program with the United States Army in Baghdad, Iraq. It didn't go well," joked retired Army lieutenant and Iraq veteran Steve Rice.
The subject is serious, but the five severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found a way to use humor to heal.
"I told my wife before I left for Iraq, I said, 'Honey, if I don't come home in one piece, I want you to go on without me.' Luckily her and her new husband let me rent out the garage," joked Desert Storm Army veteran Bobby Henline.
More than 38 percent of his body was burned and his head was burned to the skull when his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. He bills himself as the "well-done comedian."
read more here
ABC 10 News
Robert Santos
Oct 8, 2014
"I know there are some dark, dark hours that these gentlemen have spent and to find a funny way of telling that to the audience is a real art form," said actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis.SAN DIEGO - They call themselves "Comedy Warriors" – four men and one woman with combat injuries ranging from burns to amputations.
"Back in 2003, I was involved in a pretty aggressive study abroad program with the United States Army in Baghdad, Iraq. It didn't go well," joked retired Army lieutenant and Iraq veteran Steve Rice.
The subject is serious, but the five severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found a way to use humor to heal.
"I told my wife before I left for Iraq, I said, 'Honey, if I don't come home in one piece, I want you to go on without me.' Luckily her and her new husband let me rent out the garage," joked Desert Storm Army veteran Bobby Henline.
More than 38 percent of his body was burned and his head was burned to the skull when his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. He bills himself as the "well-done comedian."
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Iraq Veteran-Seattle Firefighter Back to Work
Seattle firefighter, Iraq veteran returns to work with prosthetic brace
NBC King 5 News
Alison Morrow
October 8, 2014
No stranger to training or training hard, it wasn't just war that pushed Matt Runte to his physical edge. More than a decade after returning from Iraq uninjured, a car hit Runte on his motorcycle.
"It wasn't until I got to looking at my feet that I saw my left boot had blown out," he said. "It's a non-functioning forefoot."
Runte lost two toes and suffered severe blood vessel damage. He could barely walk, much less run the marathons he once enjoyed.
Then, Hanger Clinical Director Ryan Blanck took on Runte's case with the prosthetic brace he just developed.
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NBC King 5 News
Alison Morrow
October 8, 2014
Seattle firefighter Matt Runte is walking again, thanks to a newly developed prosthetic brace.SEATTLE -- A Seattle firefighter is dreaming big again after nearly losing his ability to walk, much less work.
(Photo: KING)
No stranger to training or training hard, it wasn't just war that pushed Matt Runte to his physical edge. More than a decade after returning from Iraq uninjured, a car hit Runte on his motorcycle.
"It wasn't until I got to looking at my feet that I saw my left boot had blown out," he said. "It's a non-functioning forefoot."
Runte lost two toes and suffered severe blood vessel damage. He could barely walk, much less run the marathons he once enjoyed.
Then, Hanger Clinical Director Ryan Blanck took on Runte's case with the prosthetic brace he just developed.
read more here
Marine Veteran died after bar fight, police seek witness
Marine veteran dies after fight at Merced County bar
Fresno Bee
BY ROB PARSONS
October 6, 2014
A 22-year-old Marine Corps veteran is dead from injuries suffered from an apparent assault reported Sunday at a Stevinson bar, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department told the Merced Sun-Star.
Miguel De La Cruz of Newman had been placed on life support, but was pronounced dead by Monday evening, deputies said.
De La Cruz apparently was involved in a large brawl around 2 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Stevinson Bar and Grill in the 20000 block of Third Avenue in Stevinson, Sgt. Delray Shelton said.
Exactly what happened remained unclear Monday, and investigators are seeking information about the incident from the public.
“Detectives are really hoping someone from the public comes forward to help identify any patrons who may have been at the bar that night,” Detective Sgt. Chuck Hale said.
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Fresno Bee
BY ROB PARSONS
October 6, 2014
A 22-year-old Marine Corps veteran is dead from injuries suffered from an apparent assault reported Sunday at a Stevinson bar, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department told the Merced Sun-Star.
Miguel De La Cruz of Newman had been placed on life support, but was pronounced dead by Monday evening, deputies said.
De La Cruz apparently was involved in a large brawl around 2 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Stevinson Bar and Grill in the 20000 block of Third Avenue in Stevinson, Sgt. Delray Shelton said.
Exactly what happened remained unclear Monday, and investigators are seeking information about the incident from the public.
“Detectives are really hoping someone from the public comes forward to help identify any patrons who may have been at the bar that night,” Detective Sgt. Chuck Hale said.
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Chicago: WOUNDED POLICE CAPTAIN EXPECTED TO SURVIVE
1 DEAD, 1 IN CUSTODY AFTER ENGLEWOOD STANDOFF; WOUNDED POLICE CAPTAIN EXPECTED TO SURVIVE
ABC CHICAGO 7 NEWS
By Eric Horng and Paul Meincke
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A six-hour standoff in the 7200-block of South Lowe Avenue left Captain Ed Kulbida wounded, one suspect dead and one suspect in custody.
The standoff ended just before midnight. Police found one person dead and apprehended another suspect upon entering the apartment building.
"They used a flash bang and there was still no response. At that point it was time to make entry. They did it in a progressive fashion. I was listening to it the whole time. They did it perfectly. They did a really outstanding job," Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said.
Police have not said how the standoff ended or how one suspect, Daniel Jackson, 42, died. Daniel Brown, 42, the other suspect involved in the standoff, has also not been charged.
The standoff began around 6 p.m. Tuesday when Chicago police and U.S. marshals were serving a murder warrant for Brown in the city's Englewood neighborhood.
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ABC CHICAGO 7 NEWS
By Eric Horng and Paul Meincke
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A six-hour standoff in the 7200-block of South Lowe Avenue left Captain Ed Kulbida wounded, one suspect dead and one suspect in custody.
The standoff ended just before midnight. Police found one person dead and apprehended another suspect upon entering the apartment building.
"They used a flash bang and there was still no response. At that point it was time to make entry. They did it in a progressive fashion. I was listening to it the whole time. They did it perfectly. They did a really outstanding job," Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said.
Police have not said how the standoff ended or how one suspect, Daniel Jackson, 42, died. Daniel Brown, 42, the other suspect involved in the standoff, has also not been charged.
The standoff began around 6 p.m. Tuesday when Chicago police and U.S. marshals were serving a murder warrant for Brown in the city's Englewood neighborhood.
read more here
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Death of Fort Bragg Major in Qatar Under Investigation
Fort Bragg soldier dies in Qatar
Fayetteville Observer
By Drew Brooks, Military editor
October 8, 2014
Maj. Jonathan D. Walker, 44, of Merriam, Kansas, died Oct. 1 at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, according to U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Walker was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg.
A statement from USASOC described the death as a "non-combat related incident" and said it was under investigation.
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Fayetteville Observer
By Drew Brooks, Military editor
October 8, 2014
Walker was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg.
A statement from USASOC described the death as a "non-combat related incident" and said it was under investigation.
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